What the Heart Wants
by Infinite Grace
Summary: Elena Gilbert and Stefan Salvatore are both running from their family, friends, and their pasts. They both have things to hide, things to regret, and neither of them know what their hearts truly want. But what happens when they run into each other?
1. Prologue

Prologue

June 9, 2011

Midnight

A small suburb outside of New York City

Elena

The house was still – as if someone had pressed pause at the exact moment that everyone living there was in the deepest of sleeps. Not a sound came from a passing car outside, and no light seemed to make its way in through the front windows from the street lights outside.

In other words, it was the perfect night to run away from home.

Elena Gilbert crept down the stairs, a small duffel bag in her hand. She could feel her heart racing at a thousand miles a minute, but she didn't dare turn back. She needed to do this – to get away for a little while, to find inner peace and to figure out what the hell she was doing with her life.

As she reached the bottom, she heard a creak from upstairs and she froze, holding her breath. This was the moment of truth – whether she would ultimately get away with this crazy plan or she would be caught and be watched like a hawk until her 18th birthday later that summer.

After a minute of hearing nothing, Elena continued on her way – pausing only a second to place two sealed envelopes on the kitchen table before carefully, quietly slipping out the front door.

* * *

Midnight

The heart of New York City

Stefan

"I'm almost eighteen, Dad – you don't get to tell me what to do anymore, or who to see. You can't dictate my life anymore!"

Stefan tried to control the volume of his voice, but it seemed to come out as a shout in the still air of the penthouse. Giuseppe Salvatore stood defiantly, his arms crossed and his face twisted in annoyance.

"She's not good enough for you Stefan," he insisted. "She's of the lower class – no one worth bothering with."

"Do you even hear yourself right now?!" Stefan was definitely yelling now. "No one I've ever cared about is good enough for you because all you care about is money! Katherine is an amazing girl, and I love her – you can't stop me from doing that!"

Giuseppe's frown darkened, a look of rage coming over his face. "Go to your room right now – we will discuss this tomorrow."

Stefan opened his mouth to protest, but Giuseppe wouldn't have it. "NOW!" he roared.

Frustrated, upset and more than a little angry, Stefan stormed down the hall to his brother's room. Not once throughout the entire fight had Damon come out to make his own commentary on Stefan's life, or even to tell them to shut up, like he usually did when Stefan and his father started to fight. But if there was one person who could understand him and what he was going through, it was Damon.

"Damon, I really need some –" Stefan opened the door to his brother's room and stopped short. Damon was kissing a girl, a girl that looked an awful lot like –

"Katherine?!"

Katherine jumped away from Damon. "Stefan!"

Damon looked at his brother coolly, a wry smirk crossing his face. "Stefan, good of you to join us. I was wondering when the yelling would stop."

Katherine, her curly brown hair askew, stepped towards Stefan. "I – I can explain."

But Stefan needed no explanation. He could see past Katherine and Stefan, to the open window, the window that led to the fire escape from their apartment. He could also see the wicked gleam in Damon's eye, and knew that this had been going on for quite awhile.

Stefan turned away from them. "Save it, Katherine," he ground out. His heart felt like it was going to burst out of his chest. "We're through."

And with that, Stefan stalked to his room and began packing.

* * *

12:30 AM

Train station

Elena

"Just one ticket, miss?"

The conductor looked at Elena skeptically, his eyes roaming the people behind her to see if she was with someone else – anybody else.

Elena gulped. She was barely out of the town and already she was hitting roadblocks. "Sorry, I meant two – one for me and – and my mom." Elena could barely get the words out as a smiling image of her mother came into view in her mind before vanishing. The conductor still looked dissatisfied.

"Where is your mother?"

"Dead," Elena wanted to say, but instead she forced out "in the bathroom". The conductor nodded.

"Where to?" he asked, curiosity seeping into his voice. Elena looked at the train schedule. "Um, Richmond," she said, picking a city at random. "We have family there."

The conductor rang up her purchase and handed her the tickets. "Have a good trip!" he exclaimed, and Elena managed a weak smile before hurrying away. The train was already pulling up to the station, and Elena pocketed a ticket and gave the other to the kindly old man punching them in. The old man looked at her curiously.

"All alone?" his voice was creaky , but warm. Elena couldn't bring herself to muster up another lie, so she just nodded.

"Yes," she said simply, waiting for the old man to grab the attention of one of the other conductors standing by and to report her.

The old man only smiled an understanding smile, his clear blue eyes sparkling. "I hope you find what you're looking for," he gathered his tickets and moved out of her way. Elena was simply stood there for a minute, not completely processing the events that had just unfolded. Shaking her head, she whispered: "I hope I do too," before boarding the train. Keeping her head down, she collided with someone towards the car behind her.

"Oh, I'm so sorry," she gasped, looking up at the stranger she had bumped into. All she got of the stranger was a pair of startlingly green eyes and a noncommittal grunt as the he pushed past her and kept walking. Before she could get another glimpse of him, the car door had slid shut behind him and the train began to move. Puzzled and a bit confused, Elena sat down in the seat nearest to her and breathed out a long sigh, placing her head against the window as the train glided smoothly into the night. As her eyes drooped, her last thought was of the mysterious stranger, before suddenly, she was asleep.


	2. Chapter 1: On the Run

**Thank you for all of the positive reviews/favorites/follows for the prologue! The rest of the story will be from Elena's point of view. This is rated T, so if you're offended by swearing or wonderful Stelena sexual tension, then don't read. **

**Read/Review/Enjoy! **

Chapter 1: On the Run

When I awoke hours later, the sun had risen high above the horizon, its rays covering me in golden light. I looked away, blinking to clear the spots that were clouding my vision. Most of the other passengers on the train were already awake and keeping to themselves, their eyes focused on the landscape outside or engrossed in a book or phone.

I pulled out my own phone, catching sight of 'Missed Call (20)' before it rang. My brother's face appeared on the screen, as a twinge of sadness passed through me. I answered it.

"Hey Jer," I said wearily into the phone. There was a muffled curse.

"Elena! Thank god, I've been calling you! Where the hell are you?"

I smiled wanly at the sound of Jeremy's panicked voice. "Didn't you read the letter?"

"Of course I read the letter – that doesn't make it okay for you to just take off in the middle of the fucking night!"

"Language," I tried to tease, but Jeremy cut me off. "How could you just leave me here, alone?"

At this, tears pricked my eyes. "I – I'm sorry Jer, I am but – please, you have to understand –"

"But I don't!" Jeremy cried, his voice cracking. "I don't understand how you could just leave after everything that's happened in the past month! I need you Elena – please.." his voice trailed off sadly as I felt a lump form in my throat.

"I just need some time to myself, Jeremy," I managed to say. "Things just… aren't really clicking for me right now. I need time to figure out who exactly I am."

Jeremy was quiet on the other line for so long that I was almost positive he had hung up on me. "How long will you be gone?"

I swallowed, for this was the hardest thing to tell him. "I don't know."

The silence was deafening. I squeezed my eyes shut, praying that I hadn't just lost the only real family I had left. Then, he spoke. "Call when you get to Aunt Jenna's house."

"I will," I said, relief flooding my voice. "Tell Alaric I'm fine and I'll talk to him soon."

The 'click' of Jeremy hanging up the phone seemed to ring in my ear, and I didn't hang up until the dial tone sounded. Shoving it back in my pocket, I hastily wiped a lone tear that had found its way down my cheek and went in search of the dining car.

* * *

The dining car was small, but quaint, with a couple of dark wooden tables spread across the carpeted floor. Sunlight from outside was the main source of light in the car, and a door at the opposite end seemed to lead to the kitchen car.

I sat down at one of the tables, picking up a menu and fingering it idly. According to the clock on the far wall, it was 9:30, and breakfast time. My stomach rumbled in anticipation as I read the names of the dishes. Omelets, waffles, and other assorted breakfast foods jumped out at me from the page, causing my stomach to rumble louder. Amidst strange looks from the other passengers in the car, I blushed and stood to place my order with the kitchen. I took one step towards the kitchen when someone collided with me, tripping me and send me flailing to the ground. I gasped as my back hit the floor with a resounding 'thud'.

"Sorry –" I said, or was about to say when I was greeted with the same pair of startlingly green eyes that I had seen yesterday. This time, however, I was able to get a more lasting impression. The eyes belonged to a boy about my age, and were accompanied by an extremely handsome face, with a strong jaw line and somehow perfectly coiffed hair. He was lean and fit, the grey v –neck shirt showing off the muscles in his arms and hinting at the ones on his chest and stomach. His eyes sparkled at me as he flashed me a wry smile.

"We have got to stop meeting like this," he murmured, and his voice was deep and lyrical, sounding like music to my ears. I blushed, taking the hand he offered me as he pulled me to my feet. An electrical current seemed to pass through me, and when he dropped my hand I almost missed the warmth that his hand gave mine.

'_Pull yourself together, Elena.'_ I chastised myself for my own clumsiness.

I tried to smile back, my cheeks growing hotter. "Sorry – I wasn't watching where I was going."

The boy laughed, and the sound filled my heart with a warmth that I hadn't felt in a long while. "Neither was I, actually," he said sheepishly.

I laughed too. "Then I guess we're both completely blind."

The boy smiled at me, before a curious look came across his face. He scrutinized my face, almost as though he recognized me. "What?" I asked, shifting self consciously.

The boy blinked, and shook his head slightly. "Nothing," he said, and noticing my puzzled expression, added: "Sorry, you just look like someone I know."

He smiled at me again, but it seemed more reserved than before. Trying to shake the awkward moment, I decided to introduce myself. "Well, you certainly don't look like anyone I know – I'm Elena."

"I'm Stefan." Stefan held out his hand and I shook it, feeling the same electric current pass between our hands. For a moment it seemed like only he and I existed in that moment. The clatter of dishes faded away, as did the chattering of the other people in the car who had basically ignored our entire exchange. All that was there was the sunlight slanting across Stefan's gorgeous face, highlighting the light in his eyes as they gazed into mine.

I blinked, breaking the moment as we both tried to steady ourselves. Had Stefan felt that current too? The inexplicable pull towards me, the same one that I felt towards him?

"I see you're about to eat breakfast." Stefan glanced at the menu sitting on the table before clearing his throat. "Mind if I join you?"

The earnestness of his voice startled me. "I don't mind at all." I smiled at him reassuringly. "I could really use the company."

Stefan smiled back at me. "Cool - " he paused, pulling a phone out of his pocket, checking it and frowning before putting it back in his pocket. "Because so could I."


End file.
